Jealousy & Fisticuffs
by Rowena Bensel
Summary: [Written for the TCR Birthday Bash 2018 Day 4 prompt: Jealousy/Fistcuffs] Baron has emotional constipation. Can seeing Haru on a date with someone else give him the kick in the pants needed to make a move?


Baron couldn't help the frown on his face as he looked across the bar at the table along the back wall. Nor the death glare he was sending to the man sitting there, chatting up the pretty brunette he was with. Haru was smiling and laughing at something the man said, and Baron felt his bad mood worsen. His grip on the glass he was wiping down tightened.

"You know, you don't really have a right to be jealous," his twin sister Louise said as she picked up some clean glasses from the rack under the bar. "Considering you didn't have the guts to ask her first."

"I'm not jealous," he said quickly, too quickly really. "I just don't get what she sees in him."

"It's the first date, not their anniversary. Maybe things will go south and you can swoop in to save the day." She hip checked him as she stood. "Now stop glaring, she's gonna see at some point."

"I doubt it, she's too busy looking at him." Baron did not pout; he was too dignified, thank you.

Louise rolled her eyes, then went back to the other end of the bar to continue flirting with her girlfriend Persephone, who happened to also be Haru's roommate.

Baron went back to his bartending duties, but he couldn't help his constant glances to Haru's table. He supposed he should be glad she was having her date in The Bureau, where he could watch her instead of being distracted by imagining worse and worse scenarios for it. He and Louise were working the bar that night, while Persephone was acting as "chaperone" for Haru. Had he had his way, Baron would have gotten Hiromi, Toto and Muta to show up as well, but the girl was on her own date across town, and the others thought he was overreacting about it.

Maybe he was, but he couldn't help it. He'd fallen hard and fast for Haru after he helped her deal with some unsavory types not long after she'd transferred to CKU, and he was fairly confident he loved her. He was also fairly confident saying anything would ruin the friendship they'd built. The others said he was being stupid, but the most he'd been able to say was that he admired her… as a woman who spoke from the heart. Nice going, Baron.

He was in the middle of pouring drinks for a group on a double date when he noticed Haru stand from the table, her date quickly following suit. She was picking up her purse when the man took her hand and pulled her towards him.

Baron narrowed his eyes. This did not feel good. A quick glance at the clock showed it was about time for his break, so he signaled Louise to cover him and hung up his apron.

He was halfway across the bar before he could hear what they were saying, but the man's words filled him with anger.

"…such a nice dinner, babe, dessert back at my place would be the best ending."

"I told you earlier I wasn't interested in going home with you." Haru took a step back, trying to get out of the man's hold, but he was firm in keeping her.

"Yeah, but that was before two glasses of wine," the man said confidently, and Baron could just hear his smirk. "Surely you're feeling a little loosen up now, babe."

Baron had reached them by this time. "I believe the lady said no, good sir," he said, crossing his arms and fixing a steely glare at the man when he turned around. "The gentlemanly thing to do would be to heed her words and let her be."

"Baron…" Haru said softly, a little chiding, though she did take the distraction to pull herself free.

The man glared back. "Fuck off, barkeep. You just want her for yourself, don't ya. I've seen the looks you've been shooting all night."

"Haru is my friend, it's my duty to help ensure she doesn't have to put up with creeps like you." Baron started unbuttoning the sleeves of his dress shirt. "Now I will ask you again. Back. Off."

"Or what, you gonna fight me?" The guy flexed his arms threateningly.

"Baron! Michael!" Haru moved between the two. "There is no need to get violent." She looked up at Michael. "Look, tonight was fun, but I told you from the start, I don't move fast, and I will not be going home with you. And after this, I don't know if I even want a second date."

Michael flushed red. "Well, can't I at least have a good night kiss?" He reached for her wrist and pulled her towards him again.

Baron saw red, but before he could do anything, Haru went into action. She held her free hand flat and straight and jabbed Michael twice: once on the inside of his elbow, once on his solar plexus, causing him to double over. She finally hooked a foot around his ankle and sent him falling back on his ass.

"Don't put your hands on me again. Good night, Michael." She turned to Baron, and tilted her head. "Don't you need to clock out for break?" she asked.

That snapped Baron from the daze he'd fallen into, and he blinked at her for a moment while his thoughts caught up. "Oh. Right. I'll do that."

Haru gave him a sweet, amused smile. "Come see me at the bar when you're done. I'll be by Persephone." She patted his arm, then walked past him, leaving Baron standing there as the bouncer came to drag Haru's date away.

When he returned to the bar, he saw Haru, Louise and Persephone all with their heads together, whispering about something until Louise noticed him coming over. She snapped her fingers in front of the brunette's face and pointed at him.

Haru turned around, a slight smile peeking at the corners of her lips. "So, has your jealousy broken your emotional constipation?"

Baron blinked, once, twice. "What?"

"Your emotional constipation. Has it been jarred at all?"

He blinked again, then looked back at the bar, seeing a bottle of vodka and three glasses there. "Did Louise give you vodka shots?"

"Only one for courage, and god damn it, Baron, you're so stupid."

Her arms shot forward and before he even realized it, she'd dragged him down to her level, and her lips were on his. He stiffened in shock, eyes wide, his hand barely catch purchase on the bartop. Then he fell into it, his free hand reaching up to cup her cheek, tilting his head slightly right for a better angle to feel her, taste her, devour her.

After a minute he realized what they were doing and pulled back, looking at her in disbelief. "You- you mean, you?-"

Haru laughed. "Yes, I like you, you idiot. I've only been waiting on you to make a move for six months now."

"Six months?" He looked at Louise. "You knew about this for six months and never told me."

Louise shrugged, picking up the vodka bottle. "I figured you'd work it out yourself, but you were in so deep, you were in the aphotic zone." She poured four shots and slid one to him. "So we decided the only way to get the ball rolling was to activate your drama llama instinct. And it worked." She raised her glass in a salute. "Here's to a good plan come to fruition."

"I'll drink to that," Persephone said, taking her glass and downing the shot.

Haru smiled and picked up her glass. "So, are we going to have a first date or what?"

Now that the divide of possibly unrequited feelings was crossed, Baron felt much more relaxed, and he was able to give a genuine smile as he sat next to Haru and picked up his glass. "I'll take you on a proper one later, but I can think of no better way to spend my break than having a drink with you."

Haru held her glass out. "Cheers to us."

Baron clinked his to hers. "Cheers to us."

* * *

_Hurray for Baron's emotional constipation! Originally, it was gonna be Baron punching out the dude, but my muse said "No, Haru's gonna be the active party of this fic, deal with it," and I went "Okay." So, voila!_


End file.
